'Fracking' rule to go before Butte board

OROVILLE >> Any individual or company seeking to use "hydraulic fracking" in Butte County will probably need a conditional use permit if the supervisors follow their staff's recommendation.

"Hydraulic 'fracking' is a common term for hydraulic fracturing that is a technique of well stimulation used to increase petroleum production," according to the agenda documents prepared for the supervisors.

In February the Butte County Water Commission passed a motion asking the supervisors to direct the county's Department of Development Services to amend the Zoning Ordinance to specifically require a conditional use permit covering "fracking oil and gas extraction practices."

The board will hold a public hearing on the subject during its meeting Tuesday.

Fracking is a practice that has been used around the country for decades, according to the agenda information.

Its use has led to increased petroleum production in parts of the country "while raising concerns of groundwater contamination, seismic events and other environmental impacts," continues the document.

However, while fracking is a well known practice elsewhere, it has not been an issue in Butte County. In fact, according to the county information, oil and gas production has not been big activity locally.

There are 26 natural gas wells in production in Butte County currently.

Existing county rules require conditional use permits for oil or natural gas production.

The county reports no such use permits have been issued in more than 25 years.

At the same time there are reportedly about 200 abandoned gas wells in Butte County.

The staff report recommends the supervisors adopt the Water Commission's recommendation and direct the development services staff to produce a draft ordinance on the topic.

While the regular board meeting begins at 9 a.m. in the Supervisors Chambers, the hearing on the fracking proposal is a "time certain" item that is supposed to take place at 10:20 a.m.

In another public hearing the county may be moving ahead on a waste water pond ordinance that was proposed in 2007 but never adopted.

In 2006 an advisory group developed a set of standards for wastewater ponds.

The group completed a draft ordinance in 2007 that would "restrict the type of wastewater ponds that can be approved in the future to recycled water ponds" that are lined to prevent any leakage and could store only highly treated wastewater for "beneficial reuse or for dispersal during the dry months of the year."

In 2013, according to the agenda documents, the board directed county staff to conduct a California Environmental Quality Act review of the proposed pond ordinance.

The review came back with no identified negative impacts, and the staff is advising the supervisors to take the steps necessary to adopt the ordinance.

This is another public hearing that is scheduled to take place at 9:30 a.m.